5 Simple Rules That Can Make Talking About Video Games Online Sane And Civil

Phew, did I pick a good week to take a vacation away from video game news.

A quick recap of the tub drain hairball that is this whole #GamerGate thing — last week two women, Anita Sarkeesian and Zoe Quinn, were the victim of misogynist mobbings, Anita for posting another video dissecting video games from a feminist perspective, and Zoe for some personal allegations levied by an ex.

Rather than reporting these unfortunate events in an objective manner, a number of gaming outlets wrote up a series of oddly lockstep articles painting all gamers with a negative brush and declaring gamer culture as shameful and/or dead. The gamers who support these sites were understandably peeved by this and sought to call the games media out on their unfair representation of their audience through the #GamerGate hashtag. Of course the misogynistic a-holes that started this whole fracas immediately glommed onto the #GamerGate hashtag, and the circle of stupidity turns, turns, turns.

I’m not here to further dissect this particular flare-up. Dan laid it out nicely yesterday if you want more detail. No, I’m much more interested in figuring out how the gaming community can prevent such ugliness in the future. Here’s five simple rules that would make online gaming discussion far more civil, respectful and fun…

Shutterstock

Follow these rules and you too can be like a stock photo person using a computer (aka the happiest people on earth).

1) Personal attacks in response to somebody’s opinion on entertainment are never acceptable.

Arguing about silly disposable entertainment is what us nerds do. It’s healthy, it’s fun, hell, it’s how I make my living. That said, if you attack another human being on a personal level because they said something you didn’t like about a video game, movie, TV show or any other form of entertainment you’ve crossed a big, red, immutable line.

By all means, pick apart the lapses in logic or errors of fact in Anita Sarkeesian’s videos (there’s a few to choose from) but the moment you bring her appearance, her unspoken motives or things she may have said that weren’t meant for public Internet consumption into the discussion, you’re in the wrong. Zoe Quinn’s video game is fair game for dissection and criticism; her sex life is not. It’s simple, it’s black and white, and if you see anybody cross that line, don’t support them or turn a blind eye out of some misguided “gamer solidarity”. Also, this should go without saying, but if you make death and/or rape threats because somebody said something you didn’t like about f*ckingvideo games, you sir or madam (probably sir), are human trash.

2) Gaming-related editorials/think-pieces spawned by personal affairs are never acceptable.

Serious situations that have the potential to throw a real human being’s life into turmoil or even put them in danger should be treated seriously. Stories involving personal allegations, harassment, threats or anything of the like should, for the most part, be kept private, but if they demand to be covered, they should be reported with restraint, dignity and without spin.

They should absolutely never be used as fodder for editorials or think pieces about goddamn stupid video games. Using a real woman’s concerns about her safety as a launching point for audience trolling articles about video games is f*cking ghoulish. The first instinct when you hear a human being is in trouble should not be to fan the flames, and shame on every outlet that’s done so over the past week. The personal issues of real human beings stay on this side of the room and video game naval gazing stays waaaay over on the other side of the room, got it?

Microsoft/Sony

“Anita Sarkeesian Death Threats Mean The Xbox is Better Than the Playstation!” — what a lot of sites may as well have posted.

“How do we make the relatively low percentage of angry young men go away? We ignore them. We don’t engage them and we don’t publicize their hate campaigns. We block and ban them whenever possible and let them live in their own dark little world.”

I mean, that’s fine as far as it goes, but “don’t feed the trolls” really doesn’t work for some of the more extreme online sexism. When a guy tweets rape and death threats at someone, including both her and her parent’s home addresses, ignoring him and hoping he goes away doesn’t really cut the mustard.

No, but blocking and banning him in addition to ignoring him and hoping he goes away might be a bit more successful. There’s nothing really an online forum can do to change that person’s mind for the better.

Okay, but if you and me and everybody who isn’t Anita ignores it, then the person making those threats gets what they want. This isn’t trolling for attention, its personal terrorism.

Gamers who are also decent human beings can’t simply ignore this and hope it goes away, because it won’t. We have an obligation in cases like this to actually stand up and say “that’s not okay, that’s not what I believe, and that’s not what I want in my hobby.” The minority of gamers who hold the sort of reprehensible views that make #GamerGate happen need to be publicly marginalized by the majority of the group, or else they will use the majority’s apathy to continue to terrorize those they disagree with.

It’s mostly trolling for attention. Absolutely make it clear that you don’t support what the trolls stand for, but don’t engage them. Again, i’ve written thousands of things online, dealt with countless angry comment sections — engaging never, never, never results in anything good. Ignoring is the best way to marginalize.

Nate – are you seriously suggesting that the people making rape & death threats to Anita are doing so for attention? That people flogging the details of Zoe Quinn’s personal life are doing so for attention? Do you honestly believe that’s the goal, not trying to harass and terrorize these women?

I don’t want to ascribe that position to you, because it seems almost comically absurd, but that’s the position you seem to be taking above.

Sure, trolls should be ignored (or, ideally, hellbanned so they don’t disrupt everyone else’s conversation). But this isn’t trolling, this is attempts to force people out of the public sphere because of the content of what they’re saying. It’s inherently different than an angry comment section – it’s a deliberate attempt to terrorize and intimidate the target into submission.

Until the gaming media becomes a voice for consumers towards corporations, it will not be legitimate. Right now it is a voice for corporations towards consumers, which is the complete opposite of what it should be. Collectively calling your readership a bunch of misogynistic virgin jackasses isnt a way to keep your audience.

The corporations pay for the “gaming media”. We don’t. It is like expecting ESPN to squarely cover the NFL or NBA. So, unless you are willing to pay $14.95 a month to every gaming site you read, you will just need to accept that there is going to be some murkiness.

And, honestly, there are bigger issues here than whether or not the latest Halo game deserves 10 joysticks or only 6. I’m not saying we can’t have that discussion, but maybe we need some perspective before we do.

Here’s another one: stop SWATing” people you fucking morons. Holy shit, of all the idiotic things to do. I’m sorry that guy teabagged your CoD character. He shouldn’t have guns jammed in his face because of it.

I think hearing that was a thing officially made me feel old and crazy. Goddamn kids.

5) I can’t disagree more here. First of all, the whole “ignore the bully” thing is a myth. Bullies are going to demonstrate whatever meager power they have one way or another and if you are their target, you can bet your ass they will get their jollies.

Also, speaking as someone who is not a celebrity but still had his personal information blasted online, I can say with total confidence this is not a “Sarkeesian problem” or an online celebrity problem. Look at the stories of people getting “swatted”. Things are happening to real people that have far reaching consequences. This a problem for everyone.